1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an illumination device for a multineedle sewing machine provided with a plurality of needle bars having lower ends to which needles are attached, respectively, a needle bar case which supports the needle bars so that the needle bars are movable upward and downward and a needle bar case moving mechanism which selectively switches one of the needle bars to a needle drop position, and the multineedle sewing machine provided with the illumination device.
2. Related Art
There have conventionally been provided multineedle sewing machines of the above-described type which include an illumination device for illuminating a needle base of each needle or a surface of workpiece cloth. For example, a fluorescent lamp serving as the illumination device is mounted on an underside of a needle bar case so as to hang forward along juxtaposed needle bars, whereupon the needle base of each needle bar is adapted to be sufficiently illuminated by the fluorescent lamp. The side where the user is located and views the needle bar case moving in the right-left direction is referred to as “front side” (outer peripheral side).
Furthermore, one of the above-described types of multineedle sewing machines is provided with a magnifying lens which is used to magnify a part of needle thread to be passed through an eye of needle so that the user views a magnified image and an illumination device which illuminates the aforesaid part of needle thread. The illumination device and the magnifying lens are disposed at the peripheral side near the needles along the arranged needles. As a result, the part of needle thread can be magnified and viewed while being directly illuminated by the illumination device.
However, the illumination device such as the fluorescent lamp is located at the peripheral side of each needle bar and thread passage (a path of thread drawn from a thread spool to a needle) in the above-described two types of multineedle sewing machines. Accordingly, each type of the above-described multineedle sewing machine has a problem that the illumination device hinders the hooking of needle thread or exchange of needles.
Furthermore, the needle bar case is slid in the right-left direction by the aforesaid needle bar case moving mechanism. Accordingly, the sliding movement of the needle bar case accompanies movement of the illumination device fixed to the needle bar case side in the same direction. As a result, an area illuminated by the illumination device is shifted from the needle drop position with movement of the needle bar case in the right-left direction relative to the sewing machine body. This reduces illuminance at the needle drop position.